Our Approach

Curriculum

“We shouldn’t ask, ‘What does a person need to know or be able to do in order to fit into the existing social order?’ Rather we should ask, ‘What lives in each person and what can be developed in him or her?’ Only then will it be possible to direct the new qualities of each emerging generation into society. Society will then become what young people, as whole human beings, make out of the existing social conditions. The next generation should not just be made to become what the present society wants it to become.”

Pre-school

Each child can grow, develop, play and socialise through movement and a variety of sense experiences. Creative play involves raw and natural materials to foster their imagination and build interest in the natural world. Language development and physical co-ordination occur through singing, movement, poetry, stories, puppet plays and festivals. The children also experience foreign language tuition.

OVERALL NATIONAL QUALITY STANDARD RATING for Kindergarten:“Exceeding National Quality Standard”.

Primary

The curriculum balances academic achievement, artistic experience and practical skills. We emphasise a love of nature and use art as an educative tool. Creativity is valued as an integral part of human endeavour.

We encourage independent learning and meet the Queensland Studies Authority standards for literacy and numeracy. By the end of year 7, our students reach the same academic standards of their state counterparts with an enriched foundation for further intellectual development.

High School and Senior Years

Conceptual thought and intellectual consideration of the world occupy students at this stage of life. Our High School encourages observation, research and judgement across a varied curriculum. The students now meet a range of experienced and passionate specialist teachers who can bring depth to the subject matter. The natural idealism of youth is supported in an enlivened and extended way.

Sport

Safe, fun, outdoor play is central to our philosophy. From year 1, we introduce swimming and non-competitive games. As the child develops physically, a wide range of more structured sporting activities are played. Our extra-curricula sports program is designed to provide Class 6 and 7 students with the opportunity to experience a broader range of activities including surfing, sailing, badminton, tennis, water polo and archery.

Music

The songs the children learn in pre-school will melt your heart and from there, music remains integral to the curriculum. The children develop a strong love of music right from class 1 when they knit their own recorder cases. Recorder playing, rhythmic activities and singing start the day to help stimulate the child’s imagination. The music programme includes class music with a specialist teacher, strings in classes 3 and 4 as a compulsory study, with further compulsory study in class 5. Classes 3 to 7 are involved in orchestra and ensemble work, which aids in the children’s musical and social development by combining their individual musical talents, while fostering an understanding and an appreciation of the contribution of others. Woodwind and guitar can also be taken as electives for children in Classes 5 to 7.

Main Lessons

Main Lessons are an integral feature of the curriculum from years 1 - 12. They encompass a thematic approach to learning. Topics are studied in depth for about 2 hours per day over a 3 - 4 week period.

In the Primary years, the children learn through their imaginative faculties so the teacher presents content pictorially. This is very effective for this age group because it awakens their feelings and their full emotional landscape.

The teacher’s artistic approach creates connections across a wide variety of learning experiences. Stories, singing, music, dance, speech, poetry, eurythmy, drawing, paining, beeswax modeling, craft and drama are just some of the ways teachers weave together creative arts and subject content to involve students more deeply in what they are learning.

The approach is cross-curricula allowing maths, for example, to be easily incorporated into history lessons as children learn about timelines, mapping, graphs and measurement. English is taught in every Main Lesson through the writing of reports in science, the description of a person in history, or the comparison of landscapes in geography.

Comments

Members of the Art in Bark Association recently visited the school to make small repairs to the biggest bark picture in the world in readiness for the picture’s unveiling in its new home later this month. more detail >

Comments

Noosa Pengari Steiner School is very proud to
announce the official launch of "Listen", compiled and illustrated by Keturah
Tracey's as the culmination of her Class 12 Independent Research Project in 2012. This special event will be held on Monday 27th October, 3.30pm - 4.30pm, in the
school hall. more detail >